Paper Cuts
by Kaien Crosszeria
Summary: Modern AU. Ellie and Riley, two orphans, find that all they have left is each other. Takes heavy influence from MordecaiQ's Two Orphans.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First off, this is going to be a long author's note. The bit that I find most important will be in a different paragraph, which regards music and the surprisingly important role it plays in this story. So, I just finished the Last of Us fanfiction "Two Orphans", and Jesus was it a fucking rollercoaster.

One thing though. The ending left me blubbering like a baby for minimum 4 hours. However I hated it. I hated the plot holes that led from chap 35 through to the end. I hated the seeming loss of common sense in both Riley and Ellie. I hated it all. So I did what I do best when I'm pissed beyond belief; I smoke a pack, drain a bottle (or 5) and the next day, coffee and an ashtray in my right hand, a guitar, paintbrush, or laptop in the other, I sit down and try to channel it through creation. I honestly recommend MordecaiQ's Two Orphans. Despite the lacklustre end, it's one of the best things I've ever read on this website, and I recommend anyone to read it. A story that I would love to get published and bound. A complete work of art.

The definitive album for this fanfic is Jason Isbell's 2013 masterwork, "Southeastern". Although there will obviously be a large amount of music beyond just this astonishing LP, this is definitely among the most important listed.

Hope you enjoy.

 **Disclaimer**

I Kaien Crosszeria, do not in anyway own any aspect of the Last of Us, or the artists mentioned. The plot is my own. If a copyright holder would like me to retract their property I shall do my best to accommodate their desires. Please note that there might typographical errors.

 **Chapter 1: Cover Me Up**

Ellie was jolted awake by the sound of a door opening. She rubbed her eyes. She looked up, and after seeing the look on the guard's face, she stood up. Scowl ever present, she followed him into the door. She stood in front of the property desk of the juvenile detention centre. The officer at the window, who looked as bored as he did middle-aged, looked at her, then down at his paperwork. He then pulled out a box, opened the window further and placed the box on the new counter space. Once the guard behind her retrieved the box, the administrator closed the window.

Ellie shuffled awkwardly behind the guard, before they came to a plain steel table. He opened the box, retrieved the paperwork inside and removed a pen from his breast pocket, and finally spoke as he removed each item.

"1 military surplus pack, one side buckle broken." He ticked off something on his list, then started to recite the rest of the list robotically. "1 steel water canteen, scuffed. One small leather wallet, empty. 1 copy of Trainspotting, hardback. 1 kinetic flashlight, clip-on. One analogue watch. 1 Sony Walkman. 1 pair of headphones. 1 box of cassettes. 1 switchblade, steel. 1 Swiss army-knife." He laid every item out on the table once he retrieved them. He dug deeper, retrieving clothes. "1 pair of work boots, steel-capped. 2 pairs of denim jeans, 1 lined with flannel. 1 pair of thermal leggings, 4 pairs of bras. 4 pairs of women's underwear. 6 t-shirts. A pack of medium-length socks. 2 hooded sweaters, or hoodies. 3 flannel shirts, red, green and blue. 1 leather jacket, brown." He looked in the box on last time after he finished ticking off his list, made a double-take, reached in, and pulled a box of Tampax out. Ellie blushed slightly. He ticked it off his list.

He pointed towards the toilet sign, seemingly signalling Ellie to change. She glared, and proceeded to pick out an outfit. She picked out her Nirvana t-shirt, worn and slightly faded, and, after checking the weather through the window, also set aside her flannel-lined jeans, her grey hoodie, her red flannel shirt, her thermals, her boots and finally, blushing again, she added underwear to that pile. She stuffed everything else in the appropriate bag compartment, with the exception of her switchblade. She put her bag, a muddy brown colour, down beside the table, and then took her clothes to get changed.

In the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a younger Ellen Page, for which she had constantly been made fun of for around the prison, just with coppery red hair. She had an eyebrow slit, caused by a fight in the prison yard in which the girl she was quarrelling with had gotten a makeshift shank out and nicked her eyebrow. Her skin was stupidly pale, due to a mixture of genetics, and her hatred of the sun. She turned away from the mirror and headed into the stall in front of her.

10 minutes later, Ellie came out dressed. She threw her leather jacket over her shoulders, slung her backpack over her right shoulder, and walked through to the reception. It looked as grey and dull as the rest of the juvenile detention centre. The plants potted around somehow made the place more depressing, presumably due to their incessant drooping. She quickly ran over to the water cooler in the corner and filled her canteen before she attached it back onto her bag. She then took a deep breath, and turned round, heading towards the front desk. The woman there, her bleached blonde hair betrayed by her ratty brown roots, gave Ellie a horse-like, sickly sweet smile.

"What can I do for you, honey?" Her voice was patronising, topped off by an annoying whine that seemed to just be present whenever she opened her mouth. Ellie quickly gave her a wad of paper while saying "My name's Ellie Williams. I'm supposed to be leaving today."

Once the woman discovered she had been an inmate, her face did a complete 180, turning into some twisted, disgusted grimace. Her voice, still high-pitched, suddenly developed a cold tone.

"Ah yes. Let me see here… Yes here it is. Ellen Williams, born on the 3rd of May, 1997 to Anna Williams. Father unknown, though no surprises there..." she muttered the last part under her breath, but then continued. "Incarcerated on the 4th of April 2013 for vandalism and theft. Release date 4th of October 2013." She snatched the papers from Ellie's outstretched hand, and then checked over them.

"All seems to be in order. If you could sign here, then here, and then…" Ellie signed her name many times, her left hand aching from all the writing. The woman said to Ellie "Wait until someone arrives to escort you to Stone Edge Orphanage." The ratty woman then turned round and headed into a room behind the desk. She looked through the window into the room, and she could tell based on their gesturing and pointing that they were talking about her while the receptionist seemed to fill her coffee. She sat in one of the chairs and soon became bored. She dug her Walkman, headphones, and a few cassettes out. She looked over the tapes and soon decided on one. The storm got her in the mood for something primal. She stuck her chosen cassette in, rewound it and soon hit play.

Son House came on, singing 'Don't Mind People Grinnin' In Your Face.' Ellie instantly felt better, and soon found herself lost in the rather fitting music. Halfway through the blues mix, right in the middle of Robert Johnson's 'Crossroad Blues', someone shook her out of her daze. She looked up at whoever it was.

A man in a black suit, with close-cropped hair and a touch of stubble pulled her up from her seat. "I shall be escorting you to your orphanage. Follow me into the car, Ms. Williams."

She begrudgingly followed him out to his car, some bland, black vehicle. She threw her bag in, and waited for him to enter. She strapped herself in, and soon she realised she was headed towards a new place. A new life. And the idea fucking terrified her.

 **Chapter End**

A/N: Ellie is supposed to look like adult Jodie from Beyond Two Souls by the way.

Sorry if the chapter seemed a little short. I just wanted to get the idea out. And to me intros should never be super long. Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. All reviews are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: You will probably wonder why I've changed Riley's appearance. The reason why is because the Riley described is the way I envisioned her when Ellie explains at the end of the game. Although the "canon" design is pretty cool, I, rather narcissistically, preferred my own design.

 **Disclaimer**

I, Kaien Crosszeria, do not in anyway own any aspect of the Last of Us, or the artists mentioned. The plot is my own. If a copyright holder would like me to retract their property I shall do my best to accommodate their desires. Please note that there might typographical errors.

 **Chapter 2**

The orphanage, seemingly made from just red brick, looked big and ominous to Ellie from the curb where she had been dropped off. While obviously nowhere near as bad as juvie, it still looked cold and impersonal, far less welcoming than any of the previous orphanages she'd lived in. The words "Stone Edge Orphanage" stood out on the plaque next to the gate.

Ellie shouldered her pack, and then walked in to the orphanage. The reception was pretty standard. The walls were painted an ugly, bright yellow. The floor was carpeted by a shaggy rug, and the desk seemed to be made from regular plywood.

After explaining her situation to the receptionist, an alright guy called Ralph, who called the head of the orphanage, she sat down and waited. She chose to reflect on the last 24 hours.

'So I just got out of juvie for something I didn't do. I'm in my new orphanage, waiting to be walked through to wherever I'll be sleeping, I'm starving and everyone I seem to meet acts robotically.'

Soon, the sound of a door opening filled the air. She looked over to the source of the noise. In the door frame stood a man. He looked old, in his 60's, maybe even his 70's. His hair was completely grey, as was his beard. He had a number of scars on his face, one almost seeming to mirror Ellie's own eyebrow slit. He looked at her.

"You must be Ellen? My name is Alexis Parker, the caretaker of this orphanage." the newly named Alexis extended his hand, and Ellie met it with her own strong handshake. "Pleased to meet you. Please, call me Ellie." she replied. Alexis looked a little surprised at the strength of her handshake, but soon nodded. "Very well Ellie. Follow me." he set off down the hallway, and after a sigh, Ellie gave in and followed him. Eventually they reached a set of big heavy wooden doors. Alexis opened the door and held it open for Ellie to pass through. She muttered her thanks and then looked up.

The room they were in was large and filled with a huge amount of bunk beds. The walls were a dull shade of teal, which matched the sheets on each bed. The way the room was laid out reminded Ellie of military barracks. "You're bed and locker number is 137. Here is your combination." Ellie half-heartedly took the paper with the code on it and pocketed it. "Curfew is 7:30. Lights out at 11. Stragglers will be disciplined. No exceptions." Alexis' voice hardened near the end of his sentence. Ellie sighed. "Thank you, Alexis. I'll keep that in mind. Can I please rest?" Alexis nodded, and left.

Ellie put her pack on the bed and opened up her locker, which sat just adjacent to her bed. She hung her clothes up, and packed everything in the right compartment of the locker. She stripped down to her shirt and undershorts. Once she finished unpacking she put her pack in the locker and hid her switchblade in her bra. She grabbed her copy of Trainspotting, a hardback she stole from an abusive foster's home before she ran. The book held half of the knowledge that she had learned to use while on the streets. She had read it countless times. Her Scottish accent was impeccable now. She put that and a cup of water that she had retrieved from the water cooler in the corner on the little steel slab given to the top bunk as a nightstand. the She laid down on her bed the top bunk, and pulled the covers over her. She was asleep within the first minute.

-Stragglers will be disciplined-

Ellie woke up. She looked around, scared out of her mind. She didn't recognise her surroundings at all. Then she remembered. The inventory check at the juvie, the horse faced receptionist, the brick building with a wrought iron gate. A man, Alexis was it? He showed her to the barracks. She wiped the rest of the sleep from her eyes, and looked around. She was in the orphanage. She looked at her nightside table. She quickly drank the water, but then noticed something. Her book was missing. She quickly jumped down from her bed, her eyes darted around, searching for anyone who might've been reading her precious book.

"You've got interesting taste in literature." a voice said behind her. Good, but interesting nonetheless." Ellie spun around, ready to confront whoever had stolen the precious volume. However she had to catch herself when she saw who it was that she would be sharing a bunk with.

The girl was Asian in ethnicity, her skin pale and her hair pitch black. Said hair reached down to just past her jawline, and, although hardly super-model quality, was very well taken care of for someone in their situation. Her skin was free from any of the blemishes that Ellie would occasionally have to deal with. Her skin looked soft. Stupidly soft in fact, and her eyes were... they were just this stunning honey colour Ellie didn't even know was a possible eye colour. Although not super curvy, she matched Ellie herself by being taller and thinner than other girls her age, although she was taller than Ellie. All in all, she was fucking gorgeous.

"Excuse me? Hello?" Ellie snapped out of her trance and then blushed a deep crimson. She had to watch herself. She didn't know the attitudes of people round here, but when she was 14 a foster had sent her back to her former orphanage when she was caught making out with another girl outside of her school. That had pretty much scarred her for life.

"I'd like my book back." She was curt, and although her tone seemed strained, she thought she sounded relatively polite. The girl nodded and wordlessly handed the book back to her. "Sorry. I was just curious." Ellie went to her locker, and while opening the door asked "Do you usually steal from someone the minute you meet them?" She could practically hear the girl smirk. "Only the pretty girls." Ellie spluttered. However she was incredibly happy. The girl had just revealed that she was into the fairer sex. If she played her cards right...

"I bet you say that to everyone when asked about your raging kleptomania." Ellie said. The girl started laughing.

"Oh, I like you. What's your name?" The girl asked. "Ellie." Ellie replied. "Yours?" "Riley." the newly named Riley said.

"So, do you want me to give you the grand tour? It will only cost you your first-born child. Nothing more, I swear." Ellie giggled. "Sure thing. I'll forward the paperwork as soon as possible." Riley chuckled at that.

"Okay, so the room we're in right now is-" Riley was interrupted by Ellie. "The Barracks. That's what I'd call them at least." Riley laughed again. "Yeah, that's a bit more accurate than the bedroom or something like that."

They moved through to the next room over. It was smaller than the Barracks, big, but still relatively small.

"We call this room the Social Room. We have a TV, a couple of board games, a few packs of cards, and some instruments over there. You'll be spending most of your time in this room, specially since winter's coming." Ellie looked around, and then noted the guitar in the corner. She walked over to it, turned it upside down, and started tuning it. She knew from the moment that she was offered the chance to play guitar that her left-handedness would become an issue, predominantly because of her economic circumstances. So she had learnt how to play guitar with the strings upside down. Besides, it looked a bit cooler. She started to play something. Just a few chords. Then she was singing.

 _Take me out_

 _Tonight._

 _Where there's music_

 _And there's people_

 _And they're young and alive..._

She somehow sang her way through the The Smiths 'There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out'. Weird thing was, she had never learnt the chords.

 _And if a double-decker bus,_

 _Kills the both of us,_

 _To die by your side,_

 _Is such a heavenly way to die..._

Ellie's face felt wet. She didn't know why she was crying. No matter how fitting the lyrics where, she had never cried while playing. People had gathered around to watch her play.

 _There is a light and it never goes out,_

 _There is a light and it never goes out,_

 _There is a light and it never goes out,_

 _There is a light and it never goes out..._

She finished to a huge chorus of applause. Many of the kids in the audience were also crying. One or two were sobbing. She wiped her face with her hand and put the guitar back where it was before.

Riley's eyes also looked slightly moist. "That was great Ellie. A bit depressing, but really good." Ellie smiled. "Thanks. Now, quick question." Ellie's expression turned mischievous. "Do you know how to play poker?"

-There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out-

A few months had passed since Ellie had first arrived at Stone Edge. Annoyingly enough, Riley was somehow much better at poker than Ellie, despite the fact that Ellie had been playing for 2 years. On the plus side, the two of them had basically started an underground gambling ring, fuelled by snacks and, at the most, a little beer.

Ellie had been playing more, putting on a show for the other orphans every so often. She and Alexis had come to an agreement: If she kept entertaining the others then she could keep the guitar, a cheap second-hand Gibson flat-top, and the receipt. She agreed, and both were handed to her, along with a cheap burlap sack with a strap attached to carry it, and a spare pack of strings.

Ellie and Riley were in the Social Room, playing Blackjack.

"Shoot." Riley said. Ellie looked at her. "You have seventeen Riley. Seventeen. Are you sure?" Riley smirked. "I like to live dangerously." she said in an exaggerated Austin Powers accent. Ellie giggled and then flipped the card. Four. Ellie looked dumbfounded. A fucking four. Riley fell off her chair from laughter.

"You have to be fucking cheating! How is that fair?!" Riley was still chuckling. "I am favoured by the Lady of Chance," she said, in a faux British accent, "It is as simple as that my dear Eleanor."

"Fuck off." Ellie said huffily. "Anyway, my full first name is Ellen, not Eleanor, you dork..." They settled into a steady rhythm of quips as they played until eventually there was a banging. Alexis stood up on to a makeshift stage, made from an old wooden crate. He seemed to take a deep breath, and then:

"We will have a new caretaker. I will still be here, working around him, however he will be in charge." Alexis said. Someone raised their hand. "What do you mean by working around?" Alexis nodded. "Good question. I will be supervising him to make sure he sinks in nicely. Then I'll retire. I'll be around for about another month. Any other questions?" There was some awkward shuffling, and then Riley raised her hand. "What's his name?"

Alexis took a deep breath. Then he spoke. "David. David Gillis."

End Chapter

A/N: Riley is supposed to look like Faith from Mirror's Edge, without the tattoo or a lot of the eye makeup, and with a more smiley face.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The guitar that Ellie uses is called the Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar. Her model is a beaten up, worn-in one.

This story is going to be released periodically in 3 chapter lots. This way the usage of chapters and the cut-off points they present can still be used, and you guys still get a large amount of content.

 **Disclaimer**

I Kaien Crosszeria, do not in anyway own any aspect of the Last of Us, or the artists mentioned. The plot is my own. If a copyright holder would like me to retract their property I shall do my best to accommodate their desires. Please note that there might typographical errors.

 _Chapter 3_

David had arrived. He looked gaunt, his hair a steely grey. His face was hard to describe. He looked out over the crowd of children and teenagers. He smiled a thin smile, almost a pencil smile. He then spoke, his voice undercut by his Georgia accent.

"Now I understand the concerns some of you may have. I'm a new face, and some of you may have never stepped out of these grounds in your lives, so any new faces, such as mine and James', our new cook, would probably startle and scare you. But your lives are in my hands, and now you need to understand that. If any of you have any questions about anything, my office door is always open."

The guy, despite his initially friendly demeanour, put Ellie on edge. There was something about his eyes, that lingered on her and Riley a little longer than any of the others, that made her incredibly uneasy. She looked over at Riley, who nodded back at her. ' _There's something off about this guy.'_ her eyes seemed to say. Ellie nodded in agreement. They headed back to their game of poker, warily watching behind them at the man with the shifty eyes.

 _-The man with the shifty eyes-_

They were two weeks into David's reign, and things were already worse. Although he had turned a blind eye to the gambling, mainly due to the fact that snacks were what was being offered as betting material. However almost all areas of life, including religious belief, had become instantly more conservative. Boys with long hair were forced to shear it, and other such parts of life were all taken over by a sense of manipulation.

Riley had run over to Ellie, who was sitting in the corner of the social room, reading her copy of Trainspotting. Ellie instantly looked up at Riley.

"Ellie, could I talk to you quickly, about 'girl problems'?" The wink thrown in there, unnoticed by James, who had instantly looked away at the mention of girl problems, was noticed instantly by Ellie who nodded. They took Ellie's box of Tampax, just to make it look a bit more convincing, and headed towards the girls toilet. They locked the door, made sure there were no cameras or microphones, and then Ellie started.

"What is it? You found anything on the fucker?" Ellie asked excitedly. Although she had already been mistrusting of David, the fact that he had banned her playing on the grounds of some of her lyrical content being "immoral", she had started to full on hated him. He had tried to take away her guitar as well, but was stopped by Ellie waving the receipt in his face, claiming she would call the police if he tried to take her property. He gave up on it after that.

"So I was sloping around outside of David's office, when I heard him saying something to someone, Alexis probably, that "the basement is none of you business, and neither is it that of the police. Or do you want your daughter to disappear?" in this really threatening, throaty voice." Riley said. Ellie thought about it. "Tonight we'll scope out the basement door. You said it was around the side, near the kitchen right?" Riley nodded. "Okay. We'll get up and go out round the side of the house. Agreement?" Ellie said.

"Agreement." Riley replied, sealing the deal with a hug.

 _-Do you want your daughter to disappear?-_

Both Ellie and Riley were now at the basement door, round the back of the building. They both quietly groaned when they discovered it was locked. Riley got up."This a no go," she whispered, "We'll find another way to get him out." Ellie grabbed her arm and shook her head. "David's very forgetful. You remember last week, when he said at dinner that he had a spare of every single one of his keys near whatever they were for, in case he had forgotten his keyring? It's unlikely considering the situation, but it's worth a check." Riley agreed, and soon they got to looking. Eventually, after about twenty minutes of searching, Ellie found it behind the bins near the fence. They both took a deep breath. Riley undid the lock, and both went in. Ellie stopped about halfway down, looked up, and saw Riley locking the doors behind them. "What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed at Riley. "Just in case he comes down. Nothing will look out of place." Ellie nodded her understanding, and continued on down.

She suddenly felt very ill. It was a big room, covered in mattresses. The walls were covered in pictures, mostly of children and teenagers. However what disturbed her was the large number of sex toys littered around the place. She moved over to one of the counters. Inventory checks. Finances based on what looked like names. She looked over at Riley, who looked similarly disturbed. They were thinking the same thing.

' _A child sex ring.'_

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices and footsteps above. |They both looked at each other in mild panic. They both quietly moved over to the back of the room, and piled into a large empty chest. Close packed and claustrophobic, but safe. The lock turned. They heard laughter as the David and his lot piled down the stairs.

"That is a good one, Mr. Smith! I'll keep it in mind. Now onto business." David's voice was loud and jovial.

Another voice, snivelling and nasal replied. "Remember Gillis, I don't like them super young. A 15 or 16 year old will do."

"Of course sir. Any other preferences?"

There was a small lapse of silence before the man replied.

"I've always liked a good chink to put in their place. And I have a thing for redheads, have had since I was a young man."

Ellie and Riley looked at each other in horror, both predicting where this was going.

"Well sir, you are in luck. Two of the girls upstairs fit you're exact requirements. Best friends as well. Rather rebellious though, I should warn you."

Mr. Smith laughed. "All the more fun. Breaking them should prove enjoyable." there was a small shuffling of papers. "Oh they are gorgeous. May I, er, keep the photos?" "Of course sir. Hope you enjoy them." David replied.

Ellie felt really, really ill. One look at Riley showed she was feeling the same.

"Well then sir, with that business out of the way, shall we go upstairs and have a whiskey over the paperwork?" David said. "What a splendid idea. Lead on."

It wasn't until they heard the lock click, and could no longer hear their footsteps that both Ellie and Riley climbed out of the box.

Riley was crying. "We need to call the police. Now!" she hissed. "Riley," Ellie said, "You need to calm down." Riley made a face, "Calm down? _Calm down?!_ How am I supposed to calm down when some weirdo is trying to buy me?! How about you?! Aren't you worried about the fact that you're also being moved on like fucking cattle?! Or are you just-" Ellie interrupted her with a deep kiss. Riley, surprised at first, leaned into it. About a minute in, Ellie broke it. "Riley, look at what's in here. A couple of mattresses, a few cork boards, and some notes. This could be moved out of here, or even shifted to look like it's just in storage, in about an hour. All that calling the cops will do is tell David that someone's onto him. What we do, is grab our stuff, and _run_. We're in a Wellington, Washington. We can run to Olympia, or even better, Seattle. We can go to homeless shelters, and sleep it rough. I can busk and you can use that insane luck of yours to trick idiots out of their money. We will be fine. I know there's a homeless refuge in eastern Seattle. We're gonna be fine."

Riley nodded, tears streaming down both of their faces. They both leaned into a very deep kiss.

"I love you Ellie. I love you so, so, much." Riley sobbed. "I love you too, Riley." replied Ellie, equally emotional.

They both went back upstairs.

 _-I love you, so, so, much-_

Ellie and Riley gathered their money from their pocket money jars. They packed their bags, and silently went towards the doorway. There was a 24 hour shop on the High Street. They would gather supplies from there, and then head out towards Seattle using the map she had stolen from the reception.

"Are you ready?" Ellie asked Riley. Riley looked at her. "As ready as I'll ever be." They grabbed each others hands at the gate onto the grounds. And took their first step. Their first step towards their new life. Their new life. Together.

 _End Chapter_

A/N: All reviews are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: To anyone who lives in the areas described, apologies if I mess anything up in that regard.

Disclaimer

I Kaien Crosszeria, do not in anyway own any aspect of the Last of Us, or the artists mentioned. The plot is my own. If a copyright holder would like me to retract their property I shall do my best to accommodate their desires. Please note that there might typographical errors.

 _Chapter 4_

Ellie breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she saw the tall skyline that made out Seattle. Two whole days trekking across country was fun, but completely exhausting. Using her map, she had found that they had two choices; Mt. Rainier National Park. Open, free, and difficult to track through, but filled with bears, and there was no clear path. Alternatively, they could go along Route 90. More open and direct, with the option of hitch-hiking ever-present, but a lot more visible. They ultimately chose the comfort of the road. After days of walking, with the occasional hitch-hike, and they were now in Seattle, with its neon lights and huge buildings.

"Where now?" asked Riley. "We find somewhere to stay the night. A rooftop or something." Ellie replied. "There are probably some warehouses we could squat in for a bit." Riley agreed, and after about an hour or so, they found a large empty building. They climbed in through a window, and found that it was full of old abandoned neon signs. They laid their makeshift bed, crafted from an assortment of clothing, on the top deck. They lied down, Riley spooning into Ellie.

"So… what's the plan?" Ellie asked. Riley smirked. "Before or after we fuck each other senseless?" she asked as she unzipped her windbreaker. Ellie licked her lips and replied with "After. Definitely after."

An hour of squeals and contentment later, the two were embracing each other, naked beneath the pile of clothes they were calling a duvet. "But no, seriously, what do we do tomorrow?" Ellie said, a satisfied little smile present throughout that whole sentence. Riley grinned back. "I dunno. Beg. Busk. Go to a soup kitchen and stay away from any dealers. Find proper sleeping bags. _Live._ Isn't that just such a good thing to say? Live. We're finally gonna live." she said, a big goofy smile on her face the whole time. Ellie smiled sweetly. "I'm fucking smashed. Goodnight. I love you Riley."

Riley smiled right back. "Love you too, dork."

And thus the girls fell asleep, awaiting the challenges of the next day.

 _-We're finally gonna live-_

A crack of light spilled out of the window, hitting Ellie in the face. She grimaced and then woke up. She remembered where she was. A warehouse in east Seattle. She looked over at Riley, and smiled. The girl was gorgeous. To Ellie she was an angel in every single way. She brushed a stray strand of hair off her face and placed it behind her ear. She got up and set about making breakfast for the both of them. She would let Riley sleep in. Of the two of them, the whole Mr. Smith incident, along with the whole trekking thing had hit her far harder than it had Ellie, and she probably needed the rest much more than she did. Eventually, about an hour later, Riley stirred. "Morning, love." Ellie said, "I made you breakfast." Riley sleepily smiled up at Ellie. "Thanks."

"It's hardly 5-star, but I was the wifey today, so you can do it tomorrow." Ellie said. Riley smirked. "I thought there was supposed to be a set man in the relationship." Ellie chuckled. "Left my strap-on behind I guess." That sent both of them into fits of laughter.

"Let me just get dressed," Riley said "It's fucking freezing." Once she came back back they shared a breakfast of trail mix, cheap pastries and some beans.

"So," Ellie started, "we'll head out now. I'll busk along that main road we walked up last night. Where do you want to beg?" she asked. "Same street as you, just a little further down. That way we can see each other. We'll meet back here at around what, 5?" Ellie looked at her wrist-watch. "It's 10 a.m. now." she replied "That gives us 7 hours to scrounge cash for a soup kitchen and some tins if we're lucky."

They walked on down to the road they mentioned after clearing away their mess. They had made their signs. They kissed each other goodbye at the turning and set up their area. Ellie found some crates and set them up in a stool-like configuration. She sat down and thought about what to play. Eventually it came to her.

You say you got a heavy heart,

You say you got a heavy heart,

You say it's hard for you to start

carrying your heavy old heart…

The Jeff Lewis song got her some attention, but not much. She eventually picked up the pace.

 _Back When I was 4,_

 _And I knew the name_

 _of every dinosaur…_

That piqued some attention, and got her what looked like a few quarters.

She started to strum harder, faster.

 _Yeah, you're pretty good lookin'_

 _For a girl…_

She played a few more chords of that song. Frustration getting the better off her she swapped for a louder White Stripes song. She slung her leather strap, fashioned from a belt and some old guitar strings, over her shoulder, and launched into something loud and raucous.

 _The Big Three killed my baby,_

 _No money in my hand again,_

 _The Big Three killed my Baby,_

 _Nobody's coming home again._

The political nature of the lyrics caused some people to stop and listen.

 _Their ideas made me want to spit  
A hundred dollars goes down the pit  
Thirty thousand wheels are rollin'  
And my stick shift hands are swollen_

She was getting angry. Angry at all the assholes who just walked past muttering curses at her. At the city, and at those in charge.

 _Everything involved is shady  
The big three killed my baby  
Yeah yeah yeah!_

She built up the pressure.

 _The big three killed my baby  
No money in my hand again  
The big three killed my baby  
Nobody's comin' home again_

She started to grow louder, Half the street was paying attention.

 _Why don't you take the day off and try to repair_ _  
_ _A billion others don't seem to care_ _  
_ _Better ideas are stuck in the mud_ _  
_ _The motors runnin' on tuckers blood_ _  
_ _Don't let em tell you the futures electric_ _  
_ _Cause gasoline's no_ _t_ _measured in metric_ _  
_ _Thirty thousand wheels are spinnin'_ _  
_ _And oil company faces are grinnin'_ _  
_ _Now my hands are turnin' red_ _  
_ _And I found out my baby is dead_  
 _Yeah yeah yeah_ _!_

She screamed out the final parts of the song.

 _The big three killed my baby  
No money in my hand again  
The big three killed my baby  
Nobody's comin' home again_

 _Well I've said it now  
Nothing's changed  
People are burnin' for pocket change  
And creative minds are lazy  
The big three killed your baby_

 _The big three killed my baby  
No money in my hand again  
The big three killed my baby  
Nobody's comin' home again_

 _And my baby's my common sense  
So don't feed me planned obsolescence  
Yeah my baby's my common sense  
So don't feed me planned obsolescence_

 _I'm about to have another blowout  
I'm about to have another blowout_

The final chord strummed, she sat down for a breather, and her head suddenly jolted up when she heard the chorus of applause from an audience she didn't even know was there. She looked down and saw that her change tin was full. She gushed thanks profusely, emptied the tin into a plastic bag, and placed it back down.

She looked up and asked a simple question: "Who wants more?" The cheer was mind-blowing to her.

 _-Who wants more?-_

Ellie looked up at the man opposite her on the street. He seemed well-dressed, and was toting a camera. When he pointed it at her she didn't know what to do. She was about to wave when he suddenly faced Riley. She suddenly knew what was going on. Although Rent, the movie was pretty shit, there was one scene that stuck with her. 'Hey artist. Got a dollar?' So she asked just that. "Hey artist!" He quickly turned to her. You gonna give her a dollar?" He looked dumbfounded. "Nah. Didn't think so either." She sat back down and opened into the most fitting song she could play. Common People. Pulp were fucking genius.

She came from Greece,

She had a thirst for knowledge…

The crowd sang along for the whole song.

 _- Pulp were fucking genius-_

Riley walked over. "That was fucking insane. Thanks for getting that asshole with the camera to leave. How much did you get altogether?" Ellie checked the plastic bag, her face twisting into a comically surprised gape, then counted it through again. And looked up at Riley. "23 dollars, 50 cents." Riley looked just as shocked but added her own earning bringing it up to 29 and 22. "Let's get to the soup kitchen." Riley said. They walked for about 5 minutes, quipping back and forth.

Once they'd gotten their meal they sat down. They started talking about all sorts, and then, after leaving, they started heading back towards the warehouse. Once they were back in bed, Ellie said something to Riley. "You know, we may freeze our asses off everyday from now on, live like this for the rest of our lives, and I'd probably still be happy. And you know why?" Riley smiled "Alright, I'll bite. Why?" Ellie grinned back. "Cool reason or sappy reason?" Riley sighed. "Both." Cool reason, is the romance of busking for cash, travelling from spot to spot, the life of a wanderer. And the sappy reason?" she got as close as she could to Riley and whispered in her ear. "Because you're here. Because you're lying next to me. Alive. Warm. Sure we may be living in an old warehouse. Sure, we may be living on people's good will. But who cares when we've got each other?" Riley seemed to be crying, which worried Ellie. "Riley? You okay?" Riley looked up at her, smiling as tears ran down her face. "I love you, Ellie. With all my heart. I love you beyond belief." Ellie didn't say a word. She just connected her lips to Riley's.

And The rest of the night was spent in the other's all consuming embrace, beating out a primal rhythm to the hum of the city.

 _-The hum of the city-_

The next 3 months passed in a blur. They fell into a steady routine. Ellie would busk, and eventually Riley got a job selling newspapers. Whenever it felt like the police were onto their squat, they'd move. From warehouses to rooftops. From abandoned apartments to unused mansions. That was, until she got the offer.

"Excuse me?" Ellie said to the guy in front of her. "I'm serious. I love the way you play. My band needs a guitarist. We've got everything set up."

"Look," said Ellie. "Who would want me in their band? I'm homeless and half-decent at what I do. Certainly not album material." the guy sighed. "Could you at least meet us at the Green Flag café on 3rd Street? We can all discuss it from there." Ellie sighed. "Alright. Fine. When?" the guy's face lit up. "2 hours time?" She nodded. "See you then." Ellie got up and walked down the road to Riley. "What's up?" Riley asked. "Some guy wants me to play for his band." Riley's face lit up. "Ellie, that's great! Did you accept?" "I told him I wanted to talk to the rest of the band about it. We're all going to meet at the Green Flag café, you know, the one on 3rd Street. Would you mind coming with me." Riley smiled. "Of course I will love." Ellie breathed a sigh of relief. "Mind if we go back home, get ready?" Riley replied "Let's go then."

 _End Chapter_

A/N: All reviews are appreciated.


End file.
